In 1976 Ronlad Reagan had challenged President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination. By 1980 , conservative groups had formed a powerful political coalition known as the New Right. The growing strength of conservatives in the Republican Party gave Ronlad Reagan the GOP presidential nomination in 1980. Swept along by Reagan's popularity the Republicans gained control of the Senate fof the frist time since Eisenhower's first term.
Ronlad Reagan Inaugural Address